Connector for vacuum cleaner dust bags



Filid Oct. 21, 1947 E. P. TURNER conusc'ron FOR VACUUM cnmmzn nusw was V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

19m! R Turner ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 20, 1949 1 This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to means whereby the dust bag of a vacuum cleaner can easily be secured to or released from engagement with the exhaust outlet ot a vacuum cleaner, and this invention has to: one of its objects the provision of an improved device of this class.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bag coupling means for vacuum cleaners. wherein the portion of the coupling carried by the bag is inexpensive and therefore it be discarded whenever it becomes desirable to throw away the bag.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment or the invention, from which the several Ieatures of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilledinthe art. a

In the drawings H u Fig. 1 is an elevational side view of a vacuum cleaner embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view as seen substantially in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1, and showing one side of the mouth of the dust bag held in contact with the exhaust port of the vacuum cleaner:

, Ii'ia. Bis a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 35-30! Fig. 1 and lookinginthe directicm o! the arrows; l

, Fig. 4 is a detail view as seen in the direction of the arrow 4-5-6 oiFig. 3 and depicts, from another viewpoint, the same condition illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a viewtsimilar to Fig. 4 but showing the mouth of the bag partly drawn down to eniraae the exhaust port of the vacuum cleaner;

6 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5 but with the mouth of the bag clamped into engagement with the exhaust port of the vacuum cleaner; l

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing the mouth at the bag clamped into engagement with the exhaust port;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken nthe line 8-4! of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 9 is a view showing, one side of the bag month before it is connected to the, exhaust duct mlthe vacuum cleaner. v In the prererred embodiment of the invention, vacuum cleaner illustrated in the drawings comprises an ambulatory chassis ll supported on UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CONNECTOR FOR VACUUM CLEANER DUST BAGS Edgar P. Turner, Fanwood, N. J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application October 21, 1947, Serial No. 781,106

9 Claims. (Cl. 285-) 2 front wheels I! and back wheels l3. A propelling and guiding handle I4 is pivotally attached to the chassis by a pair of screws; one of which is shown at I6. A motor-driven fan unit (not shown), of any suitable type, is housed within the chassis l l and this motor-fan unit functions to pick-up dirt from the floor and discharge it through an exhaust duct I1 formed in a rectangular rearward portion of the chassis II. This duct i1 is rearwardly inclined downwardly and is formed by four walls comprising an upper wall l8, a bottom wall I9 and a pair of side walls 2| and 22. The four walls, just mentioned, terminate in surfaces 2'8, 29, 3| and 32 which, when taken collectively, form a rectangular apertured terminal surface which lies in a plane that is inclined forwardly with respect to a vertical plane passed therethrough. The bottom wall l9 adjacent the surface 29 carries two spaced lugs 33, which project beyond the plane of the terminal surface 29 and thereby provide an abutment for one side of the end of a vacuum cleaner dust bag 34, presently to be described. The side wall 2| carries an L-shaped angle bracket 36 secured thereto by a pair of rivets 31. One leg of the angle bracket 36 overlies the terminal surface 3| and thereby provides a recess 38 into which a portion of the above mentioned dust bag is placed. The other side wall 22 carries a trunk latch 39 having a fixed .pivot plate 4| which is held to the wall 22 by a plurality of screws 42. The plate 4| has a pair of lugs 43 which support a pivot pin 46 on which is pivotally mounted a handle arm 41. The arm 41 carries a pivot pin 48 on which is pivoted one end of a latch plate 49. The free end of this plate is hook shaped as at 5| and thereby is arranged to engage and hook a portion of the bag 34.

Th mouth of the bag 34 has a rectangular spring-wire frame, the four sides of which are designated as 58, 59, 6| and 62. The material from which the bag 34 is made, is folded back on itself and thereby forms a pocket 63, closed by a line of stitches 64, for retention of the wire r frame.

-' outwardly through the mouth, whereas, theincurved sides 6! and 62 are curved inwardly in a direction that would be taken by dirt passing through the mouth into the bag cavity. These permanent curvatures, which are formed into the four sides of the wire frame, insure that a tight joint will be made around the entire periphcry of the bag mouth when it is in contact with the surfaceszil, 129, Stand 32, because when the bagmo'utli is in clampedposition the four curved portions of the wire are stressed and thereby act as clamps to hold the bag mouth in proper position.

The operation of connecting the mouth ofthe bag 34 to the exhaust duct [8 of the vacuum. cleaner is as follows: Thesideof the bag mouth which encloses the incurved wire frame side Bl (Fig. 9) is placed adjacent the L-shaped bracket 36. The wire frame is then pressed until the side 6| is substantially straight. When this is accomplished the portion of the bag containing wire (it .(Eig. .2) ,isforced intotherecess 38 between the earran in ens .oflthe bracket 36 and the surfaceofthe'erid ofltheiduct H. The mouth bf'th'e bag 34 then assumes the position shown i i-Figs. 12 .170 51. "lUnder these conditions the wire .li'l is straight and therefore is stressed. There pornonorniebe'g mouth which carries sfil 'ahdis a'reforced into contact with th'e' surra esz'a and;29.and the hook of the ,latch isfl .i 's hookedlover the portion of the bag ,t t .eiic p e's the wire portion 52, this condition einjg shown inFig. 5. Next the latch .si iislmoved.frornthe 'hooked position of Fig. 5 .to-the fullyclosed position of Figs. 6 and 7. This gstraightens out and stresses the wire 62 and 9 causes the portion of the bag mouth enclosing thiswire to beclamped down against the sur- .face ZZ.

Eromthe above it will be noted that various curved portions of the Wire frame when straight ened and stressed ,function to press the entire .peripheryof the .bag mouthagainst the exhaust outlet surfaces whenonly two sides of the bag .mouth arecIamped. This seals all openings be- .tween the exhaust outlet I! and the mouth of thedust bag 34. The lugs 33 do not function as clamps but simply .provide a convenient means for .properly locating the bag mouth with respect to the bracket 36 and the latch 38. It will also be noted'that the cloth or other material from whichthe-bag-is made acts as a gasket to prevent the undesirable escape of dirt being blown into the bag 34.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention', what I claim I herein isi "1. A connec'tormeans' "for coupling the mouth of a aust'ba'g to-the exhaust outlet of a vacuum cleaner, comprising, a pocket stitched into an endofs aid dustbag, a spring wire frame retained insaidpocket and preformed to assume a curved sl'iape, means for attaching a portion of said frame while retained in said pocket to the vacuum cleaner exhaust outlet, and means for stressing and bending the preformed frame whereby when the frame is sobent itseals all openings between the exhaust outlet of the Vacuum cleaner and the mouthof t e dust bag.

2. A connector frame for coupling the mouth of a dustbag having ,a dust receiving cavity to the exhaust outlet 'of ayacuum cleaner, comprising, a rectangularly shaped spring wire frame having apluralityofl side portions sewed into the dust'bag some oftheside portions of the wire "frame 'bei ncurved with respect to the bag 4 cavity and other of the side portions being outcurved with respect thereto.

3. A connector frame for coupling the mouth of a dust bag having a dust receiving cavity to the exhaust outlet of a vacuum cleaner comprising a rectangularly shaped spring wire frame having four side portions sewed into the dust bag, two ,of the'side portions of the wire frame being incurved with respect to the bag cavity and the other two side portions being outcurved with respect thereto.

4. A bag connector mechanism for attaching a dust bag having a dust receiving cavity to the exhaust outlet of ,avacuum cleaner comprising, a rectangularlyfshaped spring wire frame having four side portions sewed into the dust bag, two of the side portions of the wire frame being incurved with respect to the bag cavity and the other two side portions being outcurved with respect thereto, a fixed angle bracket arranged to hold one of said incurvedwire frames in a straight stressedgcpnditmn, and a movable hook .clamparranged to draw the other three sides of the wirefra1neinto a straight and therefore stressed condition.

5.'A cohnectorfor couplingthe mouth portion of a dustbag to the exhaustoutlet of a vacuum cleaner comprising a"rectangu1ar shaped fiat surface formedonthje exhaust outlet of the vacuum cleaner? .a rectangularly shaped, in'curved and autcurveuiwir frame sewed into themouth portion'of sawdust bagimean's for aligning said mouth of the dust bag withfthe rectangularly shaped fiat surface; and means for clan'ipi'ng said mouth to 'saidflatsurfaces.

6. A connector for coupling-the. mouth portion of a du'stbag to the exhaustoutlet of a vacuum cleaner comprising arejctangul'arly shaped incurved and .outcurved spring wire frame sewed into the. mouth portion of the dust bag; ahook carried by the exhaust outlet of the vacuum cleaner and arrarigedto engagean incurved portion of said wire frame; and a latch also carried byssaid exhaust outlet and arranged .to engage another incurvedportion of said wire frame.

7. A connector for coupling the mouth ortion ofa dustbagtothe exhaust outlet of a vacuum cleaner comprising a spring wire frame sewed into the mouth portionof the dust bag; a hook carried bythe exhaust outlet of the vacuum cleaner, the said hook beingarranged to'engage one edge of said dust bag mouth; and a latch also carried by said exhaust outlet and arranged to engage the other side of said dust bag mouth.

.8. A connector means for securing a dust bag having a rectangular mouth. to a vacuum. cleaner, comprising, a rectangular ducthavinga top Wall, a bottomwalland spaced side walls, the ends of said wallsfojrmingan apertured rectangular surface lying in one plane; an angle bracketcarried by one of said side walls and having a portion overlying a part of said rectangular surface; a.,trunk latch mechanism carried by the other of said side walls and having a hooked portion that, is mounted so. as to be movable toward and aw y" from another vportion of said rectangular surface';' a pocket formed, around the rectangular mouth of said dust bag; .and a rectangular' frame'isewed into said pocket, said frame having .a pair 'of opposite members that are incurved withrespectto. said bagand having a pair of opposite members that are outcurved withrespect to saidbag, 'one .of the incurved members being insertable between the overhanging portion .jof fsaid .ajngle bracket. and said. rectaneular surface, and the other incurved memher being engageable by said hook.

9. A connector for coupling the mouth portion 0! a dust bag having a dust receiving cavity to the exhaust outlet of a vacuum cleaner, comprising, a rectangular spring wire frame secured around the mouth portion of the dust bag, two aides of said rectangular i'rame being outcurved with respect to said bag cavity; a hook carried by the exhaust outlet of the vacuum cleaner, said hook being arranged to engage one edge of said dust bag mouth; and a latch also carried by said exhaust outlet and arranged to engage another side of said dust bag mouth.

1 EDGAR P. TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 427,673 Cram May 13, 1890 437,890 Gilbert Oct. 7, 1890 1,524,296 Field Jan. 27, 1925 1,805,174 Gudka May 12, 1931 1,952,900 White Mar. 27, 1934 2,129,105 Spence Sept. 6, 1938 2,250,285 White July 22, 1941 

